6 Things You Need To Know About The Louvre Abu Dhabi Before It Opens
This week, a teaser tweet from the Louvre Abu Dhabi official Twitter account, informed us the Lourve Abu Dhabi is to open imminently and the world got excited. Touted as the biggest art opening of the year, construction is in the final stages which includes preparation and testing before it will be complete.
Here are 6 things you need to know before the big opening
1. It was nominated in the Times of London top ten buildings to get excited about in 2017
The building, designed by Pritzker Prize winning architect Jean Nouvel, is unique and is already receiving recognition globally for the design.
Learn more about the story behind #LouvreAbuDhabi architecture in the short documentary ‘Jean Nouvel: Reflections.’ https://t.co/afVFJIjImg pic.twitter.com/c65wswgAsB
— Louvre Abu Dhabi (@LouvreAbuDhabi) December 26, 2016
2. It’s located in Saadiyat Cultural District, alongside Manarat Al Saadiyat
Just over an hour by car from Dubai, Saadiyat Cultural District is a unique cultural and heritage district dedicated to art and design and crafted by world famous architectural minds.
3. It will eventually neighbour the Zayed National Museum and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi
The Zayed Museum serves as a memorial to the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founding President of the United Arab Emirates. It will house permanent gallery displays and a dynamic special exhibition programme while the Guggenheim, developed in collaboration with The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundationm, will be dedicated to contemporary art and culture. The area will be a must visit for art lovers.
4. The building is a contemporary design while combining key elements within Islamic and Arabic architecture
The main focus is a modern take on the traditional Arabic souk, with it’s small shaded passages, while the design principle is protection of this museum, where the pedestrian areas and the nested artworks are roofed by a large dome.
The #RainOfLight is a unique feature of #LouvreAbuDhabi inspired by traditional Arabian souks and natural oasis. pic.twitter.com/t3h5PL1utt
— Louvre Abu Dhabi (@LouvreAbuDhabi) January 15, 2017
5. The large dome is inspired by palm leaves
Palm leaves which were originally used as roofing materials in the UAE, the geometric dome is 180 metres in diameter and features approximately 7,000 tonnes of steel, supported by only four concrete piers.
6. The permanent gallery will include ancient and contemporary artworks including art from different civilisations
The temporary gallery will be a dedicated space presenting exhibitions of international standards
Main image cred: Louvre Abu Dhabi
